1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote diagnostic system (RDS) data security method and apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and device for securing RDS data by performing an RDS operation according to an RDS command and a security setting, and displaying a result obtained from the performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Remote diagnostic systems (RDSs) allow a seller or a management company to diagnose a user's product remotely without visiting a user. RDSs receive a command from a host or a web, diagnose the state of a printer, change a state value of the printer, or inform a user of an error. RDSs are classified into an RDS client module included in a product and an RDS server module that collects RDS information. An RDS client comprises a customer replaceable unit monitor (CRUM), a toner level, an input/out (I/O) interface, a finisher, a scanner, a duplex automatic document feeder (DADF), an automatic document feeder (ADF), and a memory. The I/O interface comprises a fax, a USB, a parallel, and a network. Furthermore, RDSs include a software module for performing various functions, printer user record, and a printer error record.
When the RDS client receives a diagnosis event, the RDS diagnoses each of the modules and transmits the diagnostic results to an RDS server.
The diagnostic results transmitted from the RDS to the RDS server may include business information of the user or delicate information that is not intended to be disclosed. RDS data reading and writing may be classified in terms of the data importance. For example, in a printer, since RDS data such as kinds of paper, a setting, a manager's name, a system date, and a department using the printer have a lower importance, both reading and writing can be performed on the RDS data. However, since a printer access log record, a printer IP address, a job list stored in a printer hard disk, a list of data processed by the printer, and the like are very important data in operating and securing the printer, the writing is not allowed.
The conventional RDSs transmit any collected information to the RDS server. That is, the RDS does not transmit RDS data selected by the user but RDS data selected by a service provider. Information collected in an environment of a particular company or office may include confidential information that is restricted and is not to be transmitted externally. In this case, a network manager may block the RDS data using a firewall. However, using a firewall is costly. Thus, there is a need for a method of selectively transmitting the RDS data according to a security policy without the firewall.